Enter the Shadows
Enter the Shadows is a fanfiction written by SilverCyberlink. It is his first major work, and the first work overall, to star his newest fan character Kurayami the Porcupine. This fanfiction is planned to be the opening of a trilogy of stories, although this is easily subject to change. Enter the Shadows will focus on establishing Kurayami's placement in the Sonic universe through different perspectives. Prologue The city slept, under the cover of the grey rain clouds above. The night had thrown its black cloak everywhere, seeping through every alley and window, consuming what was left of the withering daylight. A lamp flickered on, illuminating the street beneath where it stood. Every road felt empty and deserted, the residents that kept the city alive already asleep, although someone was still pacing around, a dark figure at the side of a blackened road. The shadows of his hooded coat hid his face, yet his gaze could still be felt in the air, focused on a solemn building standing on the other side. As he strode across the street, the sharp clap-clap sound of his boots disturbing the quiet of the rain, he began groping around in his pocket. He stopped for a moment, finally pulling out a damp, crumpled piece of paper. Once again, his keen eyes poured over it, observing the cryptic symbols scrawled messily onto it. Almost no sense could be made out of it. Shoving the paper back into his pocket, he carefully pulled open the smooth wooden door in front of him. The figure found himself in the disused lobby of an old hotel. The tiled floor was streaked with years worth of grime, the metal staircase leading to the upper floors was quickly rusting and a musty, putrid stench wafted through the air. He thought back to the message he had received many weeks ago. Just why exactly was he here? Just who wanted to see him? Many questions were darting around his mind as he climbed the stairs past multiple floors. Each floor was nearly the same: a lengthy, narrow corridor with many doors leading to the rooms, lit up in the same dreary, sickly white every time. Finally, the stairs abruptly ended, a platform thrust forward into the highest floor. The figure could feel a sense of worry and anxiety sweep over him; there was something very uncomfortable about the hotel. The stairs falling apart, the filth covering the halls, the ominous silence, it's panic-inducing weight crushing him. Reluctantly, he began stepping down the threadbare carpet that covered part of the tiled floor, moving slowly yet watchfully. A couple of minutes later, he had reached the end of the hallway. A single door stood there, with the number "1545" etched crudely into the wood. The only light here was the constant flickering of a tiny bulb. From behind the door, the hooded person could catch the smoky aroma of incense lingering in the cold, as well as the noises of irritable muttering. Gaining his courage, he began knocking, rat-ta-tat, rat-ta-tat. To him, the few seconds that then passed felt like many long hours. With no warning, the door was suddenly jerked open, revealing a spacious, inviting lounge room. A glass table stood in the centre of the room, surrounded by red chairs of an unidentifiable, leathery material, simply holding a half-filled bottle of liquor, a neatly arranged pile of papers and a small jade sculpture. In one of the chairs sat a bear, his brown-red fur neatly combed, wearing a sleek business suit. He slowly moved his arm forward, gesturing for the hooded figure to sit down, although his visitor felt pressured by the bear's glaring expression, eyes like drills into the deepest depths of his mind. But the only way out was through. He brought himself down onto a chair, throwing off his coat and letting his face feel the air once again. "It's been a long time, Marcus," the bear suddenly spoke, "And I was hoping you could do me a favour". Marcus looked up at him expectantly. A nagging curiosity gnawed at his mind, a buzz of thoughts questioning just how he had gotten himself into this. "I want you to tell me everything you know about the grey porcupine. You might know him as Kurayami..." Chapter 1 Another day in the city of Kriaphus. The blue skies, dotted with tall, steel spires which sat upon their skyscrapers like a crown, were once again was the subject of Kurayami's dreamy gaze. Just below him was a small square, surrounded by large screens, each one glowing with various neon colours. Everyone was rushing around, busy with their daily lives, yet they were all oblivious to what would happen that very day. Oblivious to what lurked underneath their very feet. Kurayami stood there for another moment, his clouded state of mind being suddenly interrupted by the sharp tone of the telephone indoors. He walking sluggishly inside, pulling the phone from its socket. "Hello? Is this Kurayami I'm speaking too?" a voice frantically spoke through the line. A strange sound which could only be compared to the scraping of metal against metal rang out from somewhere in the background. More coming soon.